Traditionally, prophylactic ankle braces have utilized linear and diagonal strapping as well as various fastening systems, for instance laces or hook and loop closures, to provide static resistance to excessive sub-talar, ankle mortise, and mid-foot inversion and eversion. The most common athletic injury is the ankle sprain. Moreover, the most common mechanism injury (MOI) of ankle sprain is that of excessive inversion with planter flexion, also known as “rolling the ankle”. Excessive inversion may damage the lateral collateral ligaments (LCL). Specifically, the LCL is comprised of the anterior talo-fibular, calcano-fibular and posterior talo-fibular ligaments of the ankle.
In attempt to protect this ligament complex, athletes, coaches, and medical professionals apply external, static structural support to the ankle by applying athletic adhesive tape or a brace. The purpose of this external support is to physically restrict ankle inversion. The previously mentioned linear and diagonal strapping found in the state of the art ankle braces affix or anchor these straps to the stocking-like body of the brace to establish support and resistance to excessive motion. Of these straps, the lateral strap plays the primary role in resisting inversion.
The typical lateral strap originates from the medial side of the hind or mid-foot and runs laterally under the foot and then up the lateral side of the lower leg, parallel to the distal one-third of the fibula. State of the art lateral straps terminate at the top of the brace. For that matter, all straps in all state of the art ankle braces terminate at the top of their respective braces. This is a point approximately two-thirds of the way down the shaft of the tibia, just below the muscle-tendon junction of the gastrocnemius.
Stability, characterized by resistance to inversion, arises from both the position of this lateral strap as well as from the fibers of the body of the brace that encompass the girth of the lower leg. The problem with deriving stability from these circumferential fibers at the top of the brace is that forces pulling distalward, for instance those forces observed during inversion, can cause downward slippage of the most proximal faces of the brace due to the decreasing girth of the lower leg at this point.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device and method for stabilizing the ankle joint and surrounding ligament complex. Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide the aforementioned devices and methods for stabilizing the ankle joint and surrounding ligament complex.